Exercising-machine.



No. 684,688. Patented Oct. l5, 190i.

M. HERZ. EXERCISING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1898.)

(" 0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX HERZ, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

EXERCISING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,688, dated October 15, 1901. Application filed March 29, 1898. Serial No. 676,585. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAX HERZ, a subject of theEmperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Province of LowerAustria, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exercising-lvlachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked there on, which form a part of this specification.

Mechanico-therapeutical apparatus such that the patient has to perform a definite and measurable amount of work by overcoming resistances in certain movements are objectionable, because the intensity of this work does not vary during the prescribed movement in accordance with the variation of the capacity of the muscles for work, as the part of the body which exerts the power changes its position by the movement. Thus the forearm which in one part of its movement is extended in another part is bent inward on the elbowjoint and in other positions of the muscles and joint different exertions of power are required to effect like results. The laws according to which the'actions of the joints and muscles vary in exerting power have hitherto been based only hypothetically on theoretical considerations and experiments on animals, and mechanico-therapeutic apparatus have been constructed in accordance with these laws.

The improvements forming the subject of the present invention have for their object to avoid the objection above stated and to insure that in working with such apparatus during the whole movement the muscles shall be exerted in accordance with their momentary tension or pulling force.

I have determined empirically the actual variations of the pulling force in human beings, and the resistance in my apparatus can be altered exactly according to these variations. This may be effected in various ways. In all cases the load (the resistance) is caused to act upon an intermediate link or element the movement of which due to the motion of that part of the body which is exerting power prod uces a compensating alteration leverage. Such intermediate elements are ca ms or their equivalents, cams, cam-wheels, grooved cylinders, and the like.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side and a front elevation of an apparatus according to my invention for mechanico-therapeutical treatmentv of the arm. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 show modified arrangements of parts of the apparatus.

A is a standard or frame, on the upper portion of which a shaft a, with a crank-handle O, is mounted, the shaft carrying the compensating intermediate element, which is a cam a or unround disk capable of rotation. A lever 61, pivoted on the frame A andloaded by a weight e, is connected by a cord, chain, rope, or strap 1) to the periphery of the cam a. By shifting the weight e along the lever cl the work performed by turning the crankhandle 0 can be varied as desired. It, for instance, the work consists in turning the crank c in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, so raising the weight 6 by moving the forearm at the elbow-joint, the radii of cam a, corresponding to the various angular positions of the forearm, are determined empirically, so that the effort always remains the same. Instead of a weighted lever, Figs. 1 and 2, weights e, Fig. 3, such as metal disks, may be employed, these being suspended in number corresponding to the desired work on a cord, chain, or rope fastened to the periphery of the cam a.

Fig. 4 represents an arrangement in which the weights e are on a rack 12, which is pressed by a spring or weight against the periphery of a toothed cam a In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 the weighte takes the form of a roller mounted on a leverf and pressing on the periphery of the cam 66'.

In the form of the apparatus partly shown in Fig. 6 the cam a is replaced by a cylindrical drum a in which is cut ahelical groove g of varying depth. The loaded lever 62 is connected by a cord 1), fastened in the groove.

In order that when the drum a rotates the cord 1), notwithstanding the helical form of the groove,- may always remain vertical, the v shaft a has a screw-thread a of the same pitch working in the bearing a, so that the shaft as it rotates moves also lengthwise.

I claim- 1. An exercising-machine, comprising a suitable frame, a lever pivoted thereto, a weight adjustable on said lever, and a crankoperated irregular-faced cam adapted to lift the Weight and whose radii vary in accordance with the capacity of the muscles for work, substantially as set forth.

2. An exercising-machine, comprising a suitable frame, a crank journaled therein, a

grooved cam on said crank whose radii vary in accordance With the capacity of the mus- 15 cles, an adjustable weight moved by said cam, and means for causing axial movement of the crank and grooved cam, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 20 my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MAX HERZ.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY O. CARPENTER, CHAS. E. CARPENTER. 

